Specialised Service

Silo Inspection

Internal and external silo condition audits for grain, cement, mining storage, sugar, and industrial silos. ELIOS 3 confined-space drone capture, AI defect detection, structural assessment, and Pr Eng signed engineering report.

Trusted by
Sasol Eskom Impala Platinum Sibanye-Stillwater Afrimat Growthpoint Concor Stefanutti Stocks Zutari Infrastructure South Africa
In short

Silo inspection assesses the internal and external condition of grain, cement, sugar, mining, and industrial silos. Delta Scan flies collision-tolerant drones inside the silo to capture wall condition, blockages, and damage in 3D, with no human entry into the confined space.

Silos store some of the most valuable, hazardous, and inspection-resistant material in heavy industry. Grain handling silos at port and inland facilities, cement clinker and finished product silos, mining mineral storage silos, sugar mill silos, and industrial process silos all require regular structural and lining condition assessment, with traditional methods being slow, expensive, and risky.

Delta Scan delivers silo inspection through ELIOS 3 confined-space drone capture, paired with exterior UAV photogrammetry and (where required) Proceq GS8000 ground penetrating radar for foundation and slab assessment. The output is a structural condition audit covering concrete liner condition, steelwork and reinforcement (where accessible), discharge and outlet condition, and roof and access structure integrity. Pr Eng signed.

Selected output

Silos, captured whole.

Internal and external silo capture reconstructed into measurable 3D, used for structural condition and remaining-capacity assessment.

When to use it

Typical engagements.

Each scenario below represents a real-world trigger for this service. If your situation matches one of these, get in touch.

Routine condition assessment

Annual or biennial inspection cycle for high-value or safety-critical silos. Establishes condition trend and supports maintenance planning.

Pre-shutdown work scoping

Before scheduled internal cleaning or rehabilitation, drone capture establishes the actual scope of work rather than estimating from manhole observation.

Post-incident assessment

After dust explosion, fire, structural distress, or operational incident, drone capture supports recovery planning without sending personnel into a potentially compromised structure.

Pre-purchase or pre-acquisition

Acquisition due diligence on silo and bulk storage assets. Independent inspection establishes residual life and capital expenditure forecast.

How it works

Our process.

A repeatable five-stage workflow. The same disciplined sequence runs whether the site is a 500-hectare mining operation or a single 60-metre bridge.

01

Permit and access planning

Confined-space entry permit, atmospheric testing, isolation lockout, dust control, and emergency egress procedures all per SANS 10387 and operator standards. Pre-deployment risk assessment with the operator team.

02

External survey

DJI Matrice 400 captures the exterior: walls, roof, access structures, discharge and outlet. Sets the geometric envelope and identifies external structural concerns.

03

Internal capture

ELIOS 3 deploys through the manhole or roof access point. Full internal 3D capture of liner, walls, roof internal, and discharge area. Confined-space safe even where dust or contained atmosphere prevents personnel entry.

04

Foundation and slab survey

Where required, Proceq GS8000 GPR survey of the silo foundation and floor slab. Identifies voids, cracks, and rebar condition supporting full structural assessment.

05

Engineering report

Pr Eng signed report covering external structural condition, internal liner condition, discharge and roof condition, foundation assessment, repair recommendation with itemised scope, and severity-prioritised intervention sequence.

Request a silo inspection quote See related projects
Equipment

What we use.

Calibrated, sector-matched hardware combined with proprietary software. The capture stack is selected for the asset, not the other way around.

Flyability ELIOS 3

Flyability ELIOS 3

Primary internal capture platform. Collision-tolerant for dust-laden, confined-space silo interiors. Integrated LiDAR and HD cameras.

DJI Matrice 400

DJI Matrice 400

External structural survey. Photogrammetry of walls, roof, access structures.

Proceq GS8000

Proceq GS8000

Foundation and floor slab GPR where required. Voids, rebar, cracks, and subgrade condition assessment.

Sectors

Where this fits.

The same engineering discipline applies across Grain handling and agriculture, Cement and minerals, Mining storage, Sugar, food, and beverage. The detail changes with the asset class and the operational context.

Grain handling and agriculture

Port grain silos, inland grain storage, feed mill storage, seed handling. Capacity verification, structural condition, lining wear

Cement and minerals

Clinker silos, finished cement product silos, raw material storage, fly ash storage, mineral concentrate storage

Mining storage

ROM storage silos, concentrate silos, fines storage, decline mining ore storage

Sugar, food, and beverage

Sugar mill silos, juice tanks, finished product storage, brewing and distilling vessels

FAQ

Frequent questions.

Direct answers to the questions clients ask most often before engaging.

Can you inspect a silo while it is partially full?

Yes, with the operator's safety sign-off. Internal capture requires the discharge level to be below a safe access height. Full silos require either dewatering of the level above the inspection envelope or scheduling the inspection at a low-stock point.

What about explosion risk in grain or dust silos?

The ELIOS 3 is not certified for ATEX zoned environments. For dust-explosion-classified silos, deployment requires the silo to be cleared and tested below the lower explosive limit. We co-ordinate atmospheric testing and ventilation with the operator.

How long does a typical silo inspection take?

A single silo, exterior and interior with engineering report: typically 2 to 4 days on site, 5 to 8 working days reporting. Silo farms with multiple silos benefit from campaign deployment.

Do you provide the structural design check on repair recommendations?

For typical concrete repair recommendations the Pr Eng signs off as part of the audit deliverable. For major structural rehabilitation requiring design work (e.g. external strengthening, foundation underpinning, capacity uprating), a separate engineering design engagement is appropriate.

Related services

If this fits, these often do too.

Engineering programmes rarely run on a single service. These adjacent capabilities most often pair with the work above.

Accuracy & standards

Built to be signed, not just shared.

Pr EngECSA 202001436

Every engineering deliverable is reviewed and signed by Darryl Epstein, a registered Professional Engineer (Pr Eng, ECSA 202001436).

SAGIsurvey

Geospatial deliverables carry registered land-surveyor sign-off where accuracy must be certified.

Classstated

Every deliverable carries a stated survey accuracy class or BIM level of development (LOD), reported per engagement against check-point analysis.

Standardscited

Findings cross-referenced to the applicable codes (SANS, TMH, EN), with accuracy statements on every report.

Start here

Request a silo inspection quote

Send the brief and our engineering team will review your enquiry and reply within one business day. Prefer to talk first? Call or WhatsApp us below.

Response within 1 business day · Pr Eng or SAGI signed

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